E.Leclerc, REWE strategic alliance to develop organics

French retailer E.Leclerc and the German REWE Group have decided to establish a strategic alliance expected to be effective in early 2016, announced by the CEOs of the two companies, Michel-Edouard Leclerc and Alain Caparros, in June, 2015.

The two companies have agreed on cooperation in specific projects where joint teams of E.Leclerc and REWE Group will work on strategic topics such as the further development of the organic products segment, cooperation in the travel segment, in import, as well as in the areas of electric mobility and energy.

“In view of the major alliances that have been newly established in European retail, we have therefore come to the decision that we will jointly take advantage of every possibility to improve the growth opportunities of our two groups,” Leclerc and Caparros said.

In the context of the alliance, REWE Group and E.Leclerc will establish a joint purchasing company. In connection with the comprehensive alliance with E.Leclerc, REWE Group is going to leave the Belgian CORE cooperative, to been completed by 31 December 31, 2015.

E.Leclerc operates 550 stores in France and 80 stores in five other European countries with a total turnover of 45 billion euros. The cooperative REWE Group is one of the leading trade and tourism groups in Germany and Europe. In 2014, the company generated a total external turnover exceeding 51 billion euros and operated 15,000 stores with 330,000 employees in 12 European countries.